L. Donald Meyer, PhD

Donald Meyer, Retired Agricultural Engineer, Researcher and Educator, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in agricultural engineering.

Dr. Meyer became involved in his profession because he was raised on a small farm and was concerned with problems that came up due to erosion. After working for a few summers in the south doing conservation work, he made the decision to go to college after learning how agricultural engineering was addressing the problems farms and landowners faced. He received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in agricultural engineering from the University of Missouri in 1954 and 1955, respectively. Dr. Meyer later received a PhD from Purdue University in 1964. He worked for nearly four decades in various roles with the goal of aiding in conservation, retiring in 1993.

In 1955, Dr. Meyer joined as an agricultural engineer with the Agricultural Research Service with the US Department of Agriculture in Indiana and remained dedicated to the field in this venture until 1973. He spent the remainder of his career, from 1973 to 1993, providing his skills and services as an agricultural engineer with the National Sedimentation Laboratory. In addition to these positions, he has taught at Purdue University, Mississippi State University and served as a research leader for the USDA. Dr. Meyer received certification in soil erosion and sediment control and was a registered professional engineer in Indiana. He has received a number of awards for his work, including recognition for his papers from the Soil Conservation Society of America and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. He has been an elected fellow of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Soil and Water Conservation Society, and a grantee of ARS Research. In 1986, Dr. Meyer received an Engineer of the Year Award from the Mississippi section of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

The highlight of Dr. Meyer’s career was having several of his papers selected and one of them was a landmark publication in the field. One of the real joys he had was having engineering and agronomy students research with him in the agriculture field. Working with students and peers were the highlights in the agriculture research service of the USDA and those were the times he was thankful to be working in the field. In his career, he maintained professional affiliation with a variety of organization, including the Soil Science Society of America, the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation, the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts and the American Society of Agricultural Engineers among many other institutions. Though retired, he still spends his time outside enjoying activities such as fishing. He is also involved with the Optimist Club and Toastmasters.